Self-steering vehicle



To all whom t may' concern:

HORACE'M. WooLLEY, JR., AND DONALD J1 Manni-in, oie-ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA;

SAID MGKEAN Assicrnoia "ro SAID wooLLEY.

Y SELF-STEERING VEHICLE.

vPatented Auf. 9,1921.'

i Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed September 7,l 1%220. Serial No. 408,651.V

Be it known that we, HORACE W'ooi.- LEY, J r., and DONALD'J. MCKEAN,citizens ofY the United States, residing at. Alameda,

' in the county of. Alameda and State of Caliily operated and cheaplymanufactured toyvv coaster or like vehicle -which is adapted toV affordan attractive source of amusement and exercise for children, andespecially to provide Y an automatic steering mechanismy whereby thecourse ofthe coaster or vehicle may be directed.

Another obj ect of the invention is'to vpro-` v vide a steeringmechanism which may, be

placed either on the front or rrear end of the vehicle and which'isactuated by tilting of the body ofthe vehicle; further to provide meanscarried by the vehicle whereby tilting movement thereof may betransmitted to turn the steering axle `to one side or another, and alsoadapted to straighten theaxle when normal position is assumed. l Anotherobject yof the invention is to provide means for securing the steeringaxle against lateralV movement both in normal and in turned positioniyFurther objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction, combinationand arrange-r ment ofparts as hereinafter more fully describedand'claiined, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in,- which-Figure l isa plan view 'of a coaster showing the applicationoftheinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a front view. Y 5Referring to the drawingsY in detail, which in the present instanceillustrate a childs coaster'or Speedster, A indicates the body ofthevehicle, '2 a rear supporting wheel,and 3 and t al pair offrontsupporting` and steering wheels. Y .The rear wheel is secured tolan axle5 or may be journaled-thereon, while the front wheelsare-supported uponan axle 6 and are freely-turnable thereon.

. The method of'supporting the axle 6 land 'Ofturning the Same-.Withrelation .toY a longi-Y v tudinal laxis drawn through the vehicle forms'the subject matter of ythe present invention.' Y Y y .w

ySuitably secured on each 'side of the vehicle and adj acent the forwardend thereof is a pair of bracket members 7 and 8; fzThe brackets shownin the presentinstanceare formed of sheet metal or the like and theexterior face of each bracket forms a seO- 5 tion of thesurfacefof'a-sphere aswill hereinafter be described. VThebrackets servetwo main functions, first, that of supporting the front end of the'vehicle,and secondly that of transmittingav turning movement to thefront axle. The vehicle body A lis ofy the under-slung type inasmuch asthe front vofend thereofis secured to vthelower ends yof v the brackets7 and 8 asindicated at 9,; Vthe vbrackets being ink turn supported withrelation to the" axle byv means of ya transverse rocker bar 10 securedbetween the upper ends of the respective brackets. JThis'rocker barrests'directly upon the frontaxle 6 and thereby Vforms a rocking ortilting support about which the vehiclebody may be tilted.

By-referring to Figs. l, 2 and, and p'ar-V ticularly Fig.l 2, it willbeseen that the respective bracketplates 7 and 8 are slotted as at 11;.further that the yslots are disposedon an. incline andthat bothslotsare 'inclined in thesame direction-- The axle'proper extends beneath therocker'bar l0-fandthen through the slots 1l; the wheels' Sand 4 beingjournaled on the respective ends of the axlev at pointsexterior'ofthe-bracket plates. 'j

In actual operation steering of the vehicle is accomplishedcin thefollowingv manner: rlhe rider when standing with onevor both feet uponthe platform or body portion A, remains in a vertical position whentraveling straightahead.` When he wishes -to turn to the right or to theleft he leans in thatl directio'n and therebyrcauses the axle, togetherwith the front wheels 3 and 4, to turn` in' that direction, the riderat'the ,same .time naturally banking the curvev or turn. The tilting ofthe vehicle body in one direction or kanother. may be .accomplished bythe aid o f-a vertically disposed stick` le secured to the frontend ofthe vehicle.- This is grasped.

-by the rider under ordinary circumstancesthe vehicle body is tilted tothe right. Such movement will cause the inclined slot formed in theplate 8V to inox/e downwardly on the axle and will to this extent torcethe axle and the wheel i in a rearward direction. The slot in thebracket plate 7 will at the same time move upwardly with relation to theaxle and will due to its incline torce the axle in a forward direction.The Vaxle. and front wheels will thus be turned to suoli a position thatthe vehicle will turn to the right; the degree of the turn dependingentirely upon the extent to which the vehicle body is tilted. A sharp orslow turn may thus be made. 1t it is desired to turn tothe left, it isobvious that the axle will first assume a normal position as the vehiclebody is tilted to horizontal. and that it will gradually turn to theleft below the rocker bar 1() as the vehicle Vbody is tilted to thelett; tur ther that the angle assumed by the axle will entirelv dependupon the tilting movement imparted to the body either by the shifting ofweight caused by the rider or by tilting through the medium of thestick.V

The bar 10 is free to rock on the axle within the limits allowed by theinclined slots ll and ther axle is similarly tree toA turn with relationto the longitudinal axis of the body due to the inclined position or"the slots, said turning` movement being ot' course limited by the lengthof the slots.

lt has previously been stated in the speciiication that each bracket isformed from a section of the surface of a sphere. This formation is ofconsiderable importance as the vehicle body tilts with relation to theaxle when a turn ismade and the axle simul-v taneously turns withrelation to the brackets or the longitudinal axis of the vehicle whenthe turn is made. The center of the sphere from which the brackets areformed should therefore be equal to a circle drawn Jrom the center ofthe axle, said circletorming both the vert-ical and horizontalcurvatureof each bracket plate. The importance of thus shaping the brackets canreadily be seen when is stated that it positively secures the axleagainst lateral movement with relation to the vehicle body or thebrackets supporting the same. lf the body and the rocker 10 are tilted,it is obvious that the inner collars `formed on the axle and indicatedat l5 will follow the vertical curve of the respectivebrackets,-siinilarly that as the axle turns with relation to thelongitudinal axis ot the vehicle the horizontal curvature of therespective brackets is followed. Y rlhe vaxle is thus secured againstlateral. movement at all times, a feature which is certainly desirableas it materially relieves unnecessary wear, and

`similarly insures good service and long life t the article to theconsumer. l/Vhile the brackets 7 and 8 and the rocker bar 10 are shownas constructed from separate pieces, it is obvious that an integralcasting may be made; further that the materials and iinish of'these andother parts of the structure may be such as the experience andV judgmentof the manufacturer may dictate or varying conditions may demand. Havingthus described our invention, wha we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is-e y 1. ln combination with the body of a vehicle, arocking member supporting one end ofthe body, an axle `upon which therocking member is supported, wheels on said axle, and means associatedwith the rocking member and axle whereby a turning movement of the axlewith relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle will be had when atilting movement is imparted to the body and the rocking member, saidturning movement of the axle corresponding with the direction oftilting. p

2. The combination with the body of a vehicle of a rocking membersupporting one end of the body, an axle upon which the rocking member issupported, wheels on said axle, a bracket member on eachl end of therocker, an inclined slot formed in each bracket member through which theaxle extends, the exterior surface of the bracket members formingsections of a circle, saidl circle being struck from the center aboutwhich the axle swings. l'

`3, ln a vehicle of the character described an axle, a vehicle body, arocking member supporting the body with relation to the axle, a pair. ofbracket plates connecting the rocking member'and body, and means on eachplate tor transmitting a turning move ment to the axle ona horizontalplane'when the rocker and body are tilted, v

e. lna vehicle oit the character described an axle, a vehicle body, arocking member supporting the body with relation to the axle, a pair ofbracket plates connecting` the and hangers connecting the body with theVopposite ends of thefrocking member,"V

6. 1n a vehicle of the character described' an axle, an `elongatedrocking member sup-V ported on the axle and havin@ its longitudr nalaxis disposed parallel withthe axle,fa curved rocking tace formed- 'onthe lower side of the rocking memberto -form a rocking surface betweenthe rocking member and the axle, a vehicle body disposed below the axle,hangers connecting the body with the opposite ends of the rockingmember, and means on said hangers for transmitting a turning movement4to the axle on 'a horizontal plane when the rocker is tilted.

7. In a device of the character described a rocking member, an axle uponwhich the rocking member is supported, a bracket member on each end ofthe rocking member, an inclined slot formed on each bracket memberthrough which the axle extends, and a spherical surface formed on theexterior face of each bracket member, said spherical surfacehavng itscenter disposed at the approximate center of the axle. Y

In testimony whereof we have hereuntoset our handsin thepresence of twosubscribing witnesses. f

HORACE M. wooLLnY, JR. DONALD J. MCKEAN.

Witnesses: f ,K

Miss M'. MCCRAITH, Trios. D. MCCRAITH.

